GAME PROTECTION IN INDIA. 53 



appears at intei^vals and takes a heavy toll of the head of game 

 (such as bison (ganr), buffalo, sambhar, etc.) on the area it allects. 



Further, in years of severe drought the mortality amongst the 

 wild animals of the coimtry affected is often very heavy, and 

 in the past this factor has received no consideration from the 

 authorities in the interests of the wild game. 



I suggest that in the wake of such calamities a very carefid 

 and detailed inspection of the area or areas affected should be 

 undertaken, with the object of ascertaining which species have 

 suffered iind to what extent. Until such survey has been carried 

 out, no shooting-permits should be issued for the area or areas. 

 Aftei- the siu'vey the species which have suffered severely should 

 be notified, as also the area affected, and this area should be entirely 

 closed to the shooting of these particular species for such period 

 as will ensure their multiplication to the number of head it is 

 i-equired to maintain on the area. In closing such area the 

 notification should distinctly state the i-eason for the closure. No 

 true sportsmen would be found to cavil at such a procedure. 



The period of closure would require careful consideration. I 

 remember reading a year or two ago that the Nilgiri Plateau was 

 closed to the shooting of sambhar for one year. There would seem 

 to be little use for such a procedui-e, as no growth of horn of any 

 value to a sportsman can be put on by a stag in a year. Of course, 

 such a ])rovision might be of use in the case of areas which are 

 repopulated from neighbouring forests outside the limits of the 

 area for which the provisions are in force, and this may have been 

 the object on the Nilgiri Plateau. Still it should be borne in mind, 

 I think, that it is of little use closing areas or closing the shooting 

 of pai'ticular species unless the time that species will take to pro- 

 duce the desired result is carefully taken into consideration. And 

 nowadays such knowledge is available, since we have a first-i^ate 

 working knowledge, thanks to many enthusiastic and hard-working 

 sportsmen, of our game aniiuals and birds. 



In the case of an area affected by anthrax, for example. It 

 would be necessary to close the area to the shooting of the deci- 

 mated species for such a period as would allow a two-yeai- old 

 sambhar stag to produce a decent head, i. e. from 4-5 years. For 

 bison or gaur the period would be longer, and so on. Sportsmen 

 may decry this suggestion and say that it is too strict. But why ? 

 The true sportsman, I take it, only wishes to shoot good heads. 

 Supposing, for instance, one or two good sambhar heads only are 

 left in an area. Only a man or two can get them. A sportsman 

 may follow who has come expressly to the area to obtain a good 

 sambhar. The a,nthrax attack was unknown to him. The result 

 is that he wastes both his time and money, and has a very good 

 complaint against the District Officials, who he very rightly con- 

 sidei"S should have notified that the area contained no good heads 

 or, as we suggest, should have closed it to shooting of this species. 



Some three or four years ago anthrax swept through a part of 

 the Central Provinces and portions of Madras, restdting in a 

 heavy mortality amongst the wild game, especially bison and 



